2008•Cambridge University Press eBooksRequires access
Deep Venous Thrombosis
Eitan Dickman, David Blehar, Romolo Gaspari
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Abstract
Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is an extremely common disorder, estimated to occur in approximately 2 million Americans per year. Ultrasonography of an extremity to check for the presence of a DVT is a commonly requested examination. A lower extremity venous ultrasound consists of imaging the common femoral vein (CFV) beginning at its confluence with the greater saphenous vein in the inguinal region and continuing to the superficial femoral vein until the distal thigh. Examination of the popliteal vein (PV) is performed by slight flexion of the knee and external rotation of the hip. Lack of vein compressibility is the main indicator of a thrombus. The use of bedside sonography in patients with a painful swollen extremity is helpful in diagnosing a deep venous thrombosis. The most important component of this exam is the determination of the compressibility of the veins.